Shropshire: River Severn areas could be designated bathing waters

The River Severn in Shrewsbury is among areas being considered

Parts of the River Severn in Shropshire could be designated as "bathing waters" by the government.

It would mean those stretches of the river at Shrewsbury and Ironbridge would be regularly monitored by the Environment Agency.

The River Teme at Ludlow is also among the 27 sites which have been put forward for consultation.

There were 424 designated bathing waters in England in 2023, with the vast majority on the coast.

The monitoring would mean people would be able to know whether it was considered safe to swim in the waters, which include popular "wild swimming" spots.

Last year Defra said 96% of bathing waters in England met minimum annual standards and 90% were rated as "good" or "excellent".

But there has been concern about pollution from sewage outlets and other sources such as agricultural runoff.

Water minister Robbie Moore said: "I want to continue to improve the quality of our bathing waters, which is why we are taking action across the board to drive up standards and hold water companies to account."

The consultation on the sites takes place until 10 March.